Also known as: Armstrong rifle.
| Type | British rifled gun |
|---|---|
| Designer | Sir William Armstrong |
| Construction | Built-up wrought iron; many breech-loading |
| Civil War use | Imported in small numbers |
Built-up British rifle
The Armstrong gun, designed by Sir William Armstrong, was a British rifled gun known for its built-up construction of wrought iron, coiled and welded, and for the breech-loading mechanism of many of its patterns. It fired a lead-coated projectile that took the shallow rifling.
Armstrong guns and their ammunition reached North America only in small numbers during the Civil War, and surviving Armstrong ordnance from the conflict is uncommon.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- CivilWarArtillery.com research archive: cannon identification pages, manuals, and reports.